Tag: ryan nall

Former Bears RB Ryan Nall announces retirement

The former Bears preseason legend is hanging up his cleats.

A former Chicago Bears running back is calling it quits when it comes to his football career. On Monday, Ryan Nall announced on social media that he was retiring from the game of football. “You never think it’s time until it is. I’m retiring from the game of football,” he said in a post on X/Twitter. “Thank you all for the love and support over the years.”

Nall had plenty of that support when he was a member of the Bears. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon State in 2018 and quickly became a fan favorite during the preseason. In his rookie year, Nall rushed for 223 yards and one touchdown during the preseason and stuck around on the practice squad for the season.

The 2019 preseason was much of the same for Nall. He totaled 135 rushing yards in four games, including a 70-yard run against the Colts. It was plays like those that endeared him to Bears fans and made coaches keep him around. Those plays eventually paid off for Nall.

From 2019 to 2021, Nall saw action during the regular season, becoming a staple on special teams and as a reserve running back. His best career game came in 2020, when he rushed four times for 35 yards and a touchdown in a 17-24 loss against the Tennessee Titans.

Nall never played another down in the NFL after the 2021 season. He signed with the Cowboys in the 2022 offseason but didn’t make the team. Then, in 2024, he signed with the Houston Roughnecks of the United Football League but was released before the season started.

Though he never made much of an impact in the regular season, Nall will go down as one of the more notable preseason standouts the Bears have had over the last 20 years.

8 players trying out at Broncos minicamp, including a kicker

The Broncos invited at least five players to try out at minicamp, including kicker Randy Bullock and running back Benny Snell.

The Denver Broncos invited at least five players to try out at mandatory minicamp this week.

We previously learned earlier this month that the club invited a pair of XFL wide receivers — Jahcour Pearson and Brandon Smith — and today, KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis reported the names of three other tryout players.

In addition to Pearson and Smith, the Broncos are also taking a look at running back Benny Snell, fullback Ryan Nall and kicker Randy Bullock.

Snell (5-10, 224 pounds) played for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2019-2022, rushing 275 times for 982 yards and seven touchdowns in 63 games (five starts).

Nall (6-2, 245 pounds) has spent time with the Chicago Bears (2018-2022) and Dallas Cowboys (2022). He made 33 appearances for the Bears from 2019-2021. Used primarily as a blocking fullback, Nall has rushed six times for 12 yards and totaled nine receptions for 71 yards in his career.

Bullock (33) has spent time with seven NFL teams, most recently with the Tennessee Titans from 2021-2022. He has converted 83.4% of his field goal attempts in his career with a long of 57 yards.

The Broncos signed kicker Elliott Fry after cutting Brandon McManus last month, but the team plans to continue monitoring the kicker market leading up to the regular season.

Denver’s minicamp will run from Tuesday to Thursday.

Story update: Brandon Smith is not attending minicamp. Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post shared a list of the eight players trying out at camp this week and it also includes CB Darren Evans, WR Jerreth Sterns and LB Austin Ajiake.

Cowboys make 5 cuts, including spring FA signing, to get down to 85 players

UDFA WR Ty Fryfogle was among the Cowboys’ Monday cuts with an injury designation; he could revert to IR if he goes unclaimed. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys had until Tuesday afternoon to trim down their roster by five players.

They apparently made up their minds early.

The club has already informed the five cuts of their fate, according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News.

Cornerback Kyron Brown, fullback Ryan Nall, tight end Ian Bunting, undrafted rookie wide receiver Ty Fryfogle, and defensive tackle Austin Faoliu will reportedly be cleaning out their lockers.

Only Faoliu was waived outright. Brown, Nall, Bunting, and Fryfogle are being let go, though, with injury designations. If they go unclaimed by another team, they will revert to injured reserve.

The Cowboys technically stand at 86 total players, as offensive lineman Isaac Alarcón does not count toward the official roster due to his international exemption.

The team must get down to 81 players by Aug. 23.

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Cowboys field emergency ball carriers Thursday as COVID, injury take out 3 RBs

Rico Dowdle and Aaron Shampklin will miss at least 5 days; Ryan Nall injured a shoulder. Joint practice and a game at Denver come next week. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys are quickly running out of bodies in the backfield.

Third-year rusher Rico Dowdle, likely the No. 3 ball carrier on the depth chart behind Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, will miss the rest of this week’s practice sessions after testing positive for COVID, as per the Dallas Morning News. He’s the second running back to contract the virus, joining undrafted rookie Aaron Shampklin.

Team protocol dictates that both players be quarantined for at least five days. If, after five days, no symptoms are present, they may rejoin their fellow players.

Ryan Nall is also a temporary scratch. The fullback signed to the team in April will now miss two to four weeks with a shoulder injury suffered this week.

Combined with Tuesday’s minor injuries to tight ends Jeremy Sprinkle and Jake Ferguson, these latest losses have stretched the offensive unit thin enough that the Cowboys were forced to shorten Thursday’s practice session, reports ESPN’s Todd Archer.

The team is scheduled to depart Oxnard on Aug. 10 and head to Denver, where they’ll practice jointly with the Broncos the following day and then play a preseason game on Aug. 13.

If COVID symptoms linger for Dowdle and Shampklin, it could leave Elliott, Pollard, and undrafted rookie Malik Davis as the only listed running backs available for those dates. (And Elliott has already said he will not see any action in preseason games.)

Wide receivers Dontario Drummond and KaVontae Turpin reportedly took some snaps at running back on Thursday.

They weren’t the only players moonlighting in new spots. Offensive lineman Connor McGovern played some fullback, as did backup center Matt Farniok. And even Elliott, the two-time rushing champ, acted as the lead blocker for Pollard on multiple plays during the day’s practice session.

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Cowboys add to special teams, sign Bears FB Ryan Nall

Nall went undrafted in 2018, but has been a sure-handed pass-catcher out of the backfield and a solid special-teams contributor since. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Fullback has become a nearly forgotten position in today’s NFL. But now the Cowboys suddenly have three of them in the building.

Dallas signed four-year veteran Ryan Nall on Friday. The former Chicago Bear will join Sewo Olonilua and Nick Ralston for now on the 90-man roster.

Nall went undrafted out of Oregon State in 2018 when Chicago signed him. He spent that season on the team’s practice squad and has seen action in 33 games in the three years since. As a rusher, Nall has amassed just 12 total yards on six carries in his career. Catching passes out of the backfield, he’s snagged nine balls on 10 targets for 71 yards and a touchdown.

The 26-year-old was also a contributor to special teams, playing over 135 snaps for that unit in each of the last three seasons. His 294 snaps in 2020 were the fourth-most of any player on Chicago’s special teams that year.

Nall should have a decent shot to make the Cowboys’ final roster in 2022, as neither of the team’s other two fullbacks are locks. Olonilua suffered a neck injury last preseason and spent 2021 on injured reserve; Ralston spent most of the season on the practice squad as an undrafted rookie.

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Bears 2022 offseason preview: Where does Chicago stand at RB?

We’re breaking down each position entering the 2022 offseason. Next is RB, where the future’s bright with David Montgomery, Khalil Herbert.

The Chicago Bears have a clean slate after hiring new general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus, who will be looking to get this franchise back on track in 2022.

With the offseason in full swing, Poles has plenty of work to do with the current roster, which features some glaring holes at positions of need. Poles will have to decide who to re-sign, who to let walk and who to target outside of the current roster heading into free agency and the NFL draft.

Here at Bears Wire, we’re going position by position to break down where Chicago stands entering the 2022 offseason. Next up is running back, which features some bright stars in David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert.

Bears 2021 RB review: Future is bright with David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert

We’re taking a look at how the Bears running backs fared in 2021.

The Chicago Bears wrapped another disappointing season that resulted in the firings of general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy. With the offseason in full swing, it provides an opportunity for the new regime in GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus to look back at went right, what went wrong and how to improve in 2022.

Here at Bears Wire, we’re going position by position through the 2021 Bears and grading every player. Next up is running back, which proved to be one of the most reliable position groups.

SEE PREVIOUS REVIEWS: QBS

Bears announce roster moves heading into Week 17

The Bears removed 5 players from COVID reserve, including Allen Robinson and Jaylon Johnson, and placed Teez Tabor on IR.

The Chicago Bears (5-10) are coming off a comeback victory over the Seattle Seahawks (5-10), which snapped Chicago’s three-game losing streak.

Now, their attention shifts to Week 17, where they’ll battle the New York Giants (4-11) on Sunday. But before that, the Bears announced some roster moves, including some key starters returning from the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Here’s a look at the roster moves the Bears made on Monday ahead of Week 17 against the Giants.

Bears add 6 players to reserve/COVID-19 list, including Allen Robinson and Eddie Jackson

The Bears added six more players to the reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday, including Allen Robinson and Eddie Jackson.

NFL players across the league are landing on the reserve/COVID-19 list at an alarming rate and the Chicago Bears are no exception. On Thursday, the team announced six more players landed on the list.

Tight end Jesse James, linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe, wide receiver Allen Robinson, safety Eddie Jackson, running back Ryan Nall, and practice squad wide receiver Isaiah Coulter were all added to the list.

They join tackle Larry Borom, defensive end Mario Edwards, nose tackle Eddie Goldman, cornerback Artie Burns, offensive tackle Elijah Wilkinson, and practice squad linebacker Sam Kamara, bringing the player total to 12.

In addition to the players, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, defensive coordinator Sean Desai, and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor were placed on the list Thursday as well.

The Bears are just one of many teams dealing with many players landing on the COVID-19 list this week, though the league did recently revamp their protocols. As ESPN’s Kevin Seifert points out, these changes allow players to potentially return to the team quicker if they meet certain requirements.

As part of their roster moves, the Bears also announced the signing of defensive lineman Auzoyah Alufohai to the roster. Alufohai spent time on the Bears practice squad earlier this year before joining the Green Bay Packers practice squad last month.

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Breaking down Bears’ roster moves ahead of matchup vs. Packers

The Bears made several roster moves Wednesday, including placing Germain Ifedi and Jeremiah Attaochu on injured reserve.

The Chicago Bears (3-2) are gearing up for a divisional showdown against the Green Bay Packers (4-1), where the winner will lead the NFC North.

Ahead of Sunday’s game at Soldier Field, the Bears have been dealing with some injuries, which the team addressed Wednesday. While quarterback Justin Fields’ hyperextended knee is fine, and he’ll be good to go Sunday, the same can’t be said for a couple of others.

Here’s a look at the seven roster moves the Bears made on Wednesday, including players placed on injured reserve and players signed to the active roster or practice squad.